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Biography
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films. Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16. Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jennifer Beals, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 19, 1963
Age
62 years old
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Popularity Score
3.3
Filmography
NCIS: New York
Robyn Wells
2026TV
Hello Out There
Judith
2025Movie
Luckiest Girl Alive
Lolo Vincent
2022Movie
The Book of Boba Fett
Garsa Fwip
2021TV
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Cassandra Webb
2021TV
Sweet Thing
Producer
2020Movie
After
Karen Gibson
2019Movie
The L Word: Generation Q
Bette Porter
2019TV
Swamp Thing
Lucilia Cable
2019TV
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019TV
The L Word: Generation Q
Executive Producer
2019TV
The White Orchid
Vivian
2018Movie
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
2018Movie
Before I Fall
Mrs. Kingston
2017Movie
Taken
Christina Hart
2017TV
Manhattan Night
Lisa Wren
2016Movie
Manhattan Night
Co-Producer
2016Movie
Full Out
Coach Valorie Kondos-Field
2015Movie
Proof
Dr. Carolyn Tyler
2015TV
A Wife's Nightmare
Liz
2014Movie
The Night Shift
Dr. Syd Jennings
2014TV
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014TV
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self
2014TV
Cinemanovels
Clementine
2013Movie
A Fuller Life
Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
2013Movie
Motive
Sophia Balfour
2013TV
The Chicago Code
Teresa Colvin
2011TV
The Book of Eli
Claudia
2010Movie
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
Angela Fox
2010Movie
A Night for Dying Tigers
Melanie
2010Movie
Queen to Play
L’Américaine
2009Movie
Castle
Sophia Turner
2009TV
Lie to Me
Zoe Landau
2009TV
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009TV
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
Self
2008Movie
My Name Is Sarah
Sarah Winston
2007Movie
The Grudge 2
Trish Kimble
2006Movie
Troubled Waters
FBI Agent Beck
2006Movie
Desolation Sound
Elizabeth Storey
2005Movie
Break a Leg
Juliet
2005Movie
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005TV
Catch That Kid
Molly Phillips
2004Movie
Best Week Ever
2004TV
The L Word
Bette Porter
2004TV
Runaway Jury
Vanessa Lembeck
2003Movie
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003TV
Roger Dodger
Sophie
2002Movie
13 Moons
Suzi
2002Movie
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
Sloan McBride
2002Movie
The Anniversary Party
Gina Taylor
2001Movie
Feast of All Saints
Dolly Rose
2001Movie
Out of Line
Officer Jenny Capitanas
2001Movie
Militia
Julie Sanders
2000Movie
Body and Soul
Gina
2000Movie
A House Divided
Amanda Dickson
2000Movie
Without Malice
Samantha Wilkes
2000Movie
Something More
Lisa
2000Movie
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Jessica
1999Movie
Wishful Thinking
Elizabeth
1999Movie
Where Are They Now?
Self
1999TV
The Prophecy II
Valerie Rosales
1998Movie
The Last Days of Disco
Nina
1998Movie
The Spree
Xinia Kelly
1998Movie
The View
Self
1997TV
The Hunger
Jane
1997TV
Nothing Sacred
Justine Madsen Judd
1997TV
The Twilight of the Golds
Suzanne Stein
1996Movie
The Daily Show
Self
1996TV
E! True Hollywood Story
1996TV
Four Rooms
Angela
1995Movie
Devil in a Blue Dress
Daphne Monet
1995Movie
Let It Be Me
Emily Taylor
1995Movie
The Outer Limits
Robin Dysart
1995TV
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Gertrude Benchley
1994Movie
Dead on Sight
Rebecca Darcy
1994Movie
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
Ellen
1994Movie
Pulp Fiction
Thanks
1994Movie
Caro diario
Jennifer Beals
1993Movie
The Thief and the Cobbler
Princess YumYum (voice)
1993Movie
Night Owl
Julia
1993Movie
Frasier
Dr. Anne Ranberg
1993TV
The Big Pardon 2
Joyce Ferranti
1992Movie
In the Soup
Angelica Pena
1992Movie
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Virginia
1992Movie
Indecency
Ellie Shaw
1992Movie
2000 Malibu Road
Perry Quinn
1992TV
Blood and Concrete
Mona
1991Movie
Dr. M
Sonja Vogler
1990Movie
The Madonna and the Dragon
Patty Meredith
1990Movie
Sons
Transvestite
1990Movie
Law & Order
Sofia Archer
1990TV
The Word
1990TV
Vampire's Kiss
Rachel
1989Movie
Split Decisions
Barbara Uribe
1988Movie
The Gamble
Lady Olivia Candioni
1988Movie
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Self
1988Movie
Seitenblicke
self
1987TV
The Bride
Eva
1985Movie
Cinderella
Cinderella
1985Movie
That's Dancing!
1985Movie
Flashdance
Alex Owens
1983Movie
Faerie Tale Theatre
Cinderella
1982TV
My Bodyguard
Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
1980Movie
Golden Globe Awards
Self
1944TV
Joy Will Prevail
Esther Kahn
—Movie